The&Partnership, which two months ago announced the launch of its new &Toyota agency network, will today be further expanding its agency portfolio with the launch of a new brand experience agency, Muster.

The WPP-backed agency group has brought in Tom Rutter and Alec Braun, formerly joint Managing Directors at Engine’s Slice, to help it launch an integrated live events agency “aimed at bringing brands and people together through unmissable experiences”.

Braun, who will take the role of Co-Founder and Creative Director at Muster, says Muster’s mission is “to redefine the industry” – taking live events to the audiences across the world that can’t be there in person, as well as creating memorable experiences for those that can. The agency will work with specialists across The&Partnership’s cross-discipline group to integrate live events with the other marketing channels, from advertising and digital engagement to influencer marketing and PR.

“We believe live events are about more than just being there,” said Braun. “This is the driving force behind our shared ambition with The&Partnership to redefine the industry, bringing brands and people together through experiences designed specifically to be shared. In a marketing landscape in which both experiential and live video play increasingly important roles, we look forward to working with The&Partnership to bring that vision to life.”

Tom Rutter, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Muster, said: “The&Partnership has been making waves with its progressive new agency models and fast growth. We wanted to be part of that, and couldn’t be more excited to make it a reality with Muster. As brand experiences, audience participation and user-generated content continue to grow in influence, we’re delighted to be working with an agency group that can help us supercharge the events we create – harnessing their media and digital engagement nous to reach massive audiences both on and offline.”

Rutter and Braun are two of the industry’s most recognised experts in experiential marketing, credited with some of Slice’s most memorable work for clients including Google, Twitter, YouTube, Nike, Coca Cola, Lynx, Santander and BUPA. Having begun their careers at Jack Morton Worldwide, they moved on to spend four years at Slice, where they were responsible for completely overhauling and repositioning the business, transforming it into a top-20 agency, as well as delivering significant growth.

The&Partnership Founder Johnny Hornby said: “In the modern marketing landscape, brands need to ‘do’, not just ‘say’ – the success of campaigns like our Lexus Hoverboard Project are testament to that. And in 2017, as live video gains traction, that need is only going to get bigger. Tom and Alec are consummate events experts with an incredible portfolio of work and great business acumen as well as creative prowess, and we’re delighted to be working with them to launch Muster.”